Mount upgrade question

[Helical]

Hi I'm just starting out with a 150 mm f5 Newtonian on Skywatcher eq3 Pro Synscan mount. My scope is towards the top end of the payload for the mount. So using a DSLR may be pushing things.

My question is would upgrading the aluminium tripod to steel increase the payload or will I need a whole new mount?

Cheers

[Tomatobro]

Its not a support issue as such but more to do with the characteristics of the mount head. I would do a setup check in the daylight to see if the assembly will balance with the weights supplied and if yes then give it a go to see what sort of tracking you get when taking an image.

If it balances and tracks well but the tripod is a bit wobbly then the investment in a sturdier one would be worthwhile.  Or fix a pier in the garden?

 

[Jamgood]

I had the same mount for my first and had a 130PDS on it. It handled quite well considering but upgrading to the HEQ5PRO has been the best thing I did. I did the Rowan Belt Mod in it myself.

I never guided with my EQ3PRO though. I could get good 60sec exposures with it and could probably of done much more guided.

Are you guiding? What exposures are you getting?

With the HEQ5PRO I guide and can take 20min shots and the mount doesn't skip a beat. 

Edited February 4, 2021 by Jamgood

[Astrid]

2 hours ago, Helical said:

Hi I'm just starting out with a 150 mm f5 Newtonian on Skywatcher eq3 Pro Synscan mount. My scope is towards the top end of the payload for the mount. So using a DSLR may be pushing things.

My question is would upgrading the aluminium tripod to steel increase the payload or will I need a whole new mount?

Cheers

Hi! I have an EQ5 on a pretty weighty 200 mm f/5 newt (8 kilograms to be exact), and I must say that the steel legs feel very sturdy and well-built. 

The only downside is that those steel legs are quite heavy and weird to transport, but you get used to it eventually. 

I heard that for the EQ3, the steel tripods help (but to an extend). If I recall correctly, someone asked the same question in a thread called astrophotography with the 150P and EQ3 (I couldn't find it though, but it must be somewhere)

By the way, here's a link that might help http://www.stubmandrel.co.uk/astronomy/129-astrophotography-with-an-eq3-tripod

 

My opinion is that you could do some wonderful things and you'll see a good improvement if get some steel legs (the same used in the EQ5 and HEQ5/ EQ6 I believe), but again, as others said- if you have the possibility, it would be great to wait and buy a Synscan EQ5 (though it would be kind of a pity since the Synscan EQ3 is an amazing mount, but you can always sell it with no problems).

 

Regards, 

Astrid

[rnobleeddy]

I found this video very interesting.

It suggests the eq3-2 can guide very well, however,  I'm not convinced that the tuning service is really cost effective on the lower cost mounts.

 

My advice would be:

 

- try it! Work out how long you can expose for and just stack lots of images

 

- if you aren't guiding consider it. Even if you upgrade later, the guidescope + cam should be transferable

Edited February 4, 2021 by rnobleeddy

[Helical]

Hi everyone thanks all for the advice. I don't actually have a DSLR, just trying to figure out how much more I'm likely to spend in the future. The money tree is a bit bare at the moment. 

Clear skies!